As Of Now
by Green-Eyed Dreamer
Summary: A teenage girl's journey through Middle Earth. NOT A ROMANCE!!! Ch. 3 revised!!
1. Light Like Falling Water

AN: Heh heh… Sorry about that, Gimli der Zwerg! I was actually gonna post the first chapter last night, but then my computer started acting up (darned bucket of rust! ::kicks computer:: owwww!!) , and I, tired and frustrated, threw up my hands and called it a night. Here it is, though! I'll decide whether or not to post the second chapter (which is still under construction) after I see what you people think. Please review!! Thanx! =^_^=

Disclaimer: If I owned Lord of the Rings, Tom Bombadil would have been in the movie. And Legolas would be my baaaybeeee!!! (not that he isn't already!)

Chapter 1: Light Like Falling Water

~oOo~

On that particular Monday morning, the clouds from weeks previous had decided that they had had their fill of dampening everyone's spirits and had moved on to some other unsuspecting town or city. The sunlight, now free from the hold of those dark, depressing bullies, had continued upon its normal course to be greeted by us land-dwellers with open arms. 

I had the unbelievably good fortune on that particular Monday morning to not be cooped up in my stuffy old house, but rather was walking through the nearby woods with my best friend, Becky, as we made our way to school. Oh, it was one of those occasions you remember for the rest of your life and recall on those stormy and distressing days, and it brings comfort to your troubled heart. The soft golden rays fell upon the newly budded spring leaves and shone through them translucently, so it was if they were of stained glass. Thus filtered so, the light then streamed down and splashed to the earth, forming pools of green and gold upon the path, rocks, moss, Becky, and I. It was like shining rain. And, since it was so golden and delicious, and since we were starved from those many gloomy weeks, we greedily lapped it up.

That was the way it was that day. Becky and I would talk, or joke, or just be silent for a time to breathe in the springtime softness. After a time, I, stating the obvious as usual, announced, "It really is a beautiful day."

Becky really is good to me. She never says things like, "duh" when I make so obvious a statement. Instead, she nodded and said, "And to think we're going to waste it in some dingy classroom."

I grimaced. "Don't remind me," I said. Then, "You know what these woods are missing?"

"What?" she inquired, puzzled.

I grinned and said, "An Elf and a song."

"Oh, no. Not this again," she groaned. "I swear, if you start up on that whole sea thing again..."

__

"To the Sea! To the Sea! The white gulls are- Ack!!"

That wasn't really how the song went, at least not the "Ack!!" part. That happened when Becky grabbed me by the collar and put her hand over my mouth. 

"Now," she said, "are you going to stop with that ridiculous song?"

"Mmrmph," I replied, and nodded.

"Good," she said, and released me. "I mean, it was cute the first hundred times you sang it," she continued, piercing me with a glare.

"Ok, ok, sorry!" I said, attempting to straighten out my collar. "And here I thought you liked Tolkien's works."

"I only went to see the movie, and only then because of Orlando Bloom." We each leaned against a tree and sighed. 

"Someday I'm gonna go to England and marry that boy," I stated.

"Not if I beat you to it."

Becky and I glared at each other for a moment, and then burst into laughter, continuing along our way. And this was the way it was between us. It's funny how much we remind me of Legolas and Gimli, the two of us. I, dreamy, free-spirited, fun loving, and likely to burst into song spontaneously. She, practical, trustworthy, steadfast, and solid as rock. We really do make a great team. That was what helped to make that time so special, the fact that my best friend was there to share the beauty with me. 

The only thing there to mar that pleasant time was reports of a serial rapist coming from not too far away, in Oakvale. They hadn't caught the creep yet, but we weren't overly frightened because none of the victims had been found in our area, and school wasn't too far away. Still, it was enough to make us cautious, and those of us who walked to school every day did so in pairs or groups. Many girls even had the school football players and other athletics walk them to school, just to be safe. Somehow, my worries worked their way out of my mouth and I asked, "Becky, has there been anything new on the Oakvale rapist?"

I immediately regretted saying this because it dampened the good spirits we had been in up until that point. Becky frowned and replied, "No, they still haven't caught the bastard, if that's what you mean. There haven't been any new attacks in nearly two weeks though, thank God."

"Thank God," I agreed.

"You know," she continued, "I never thought I'd live to say this, but I'll actually be glad when we get to school."

"Yeah," I said, and we were silent for a while. Then I, hoping to lighten the atmosphere a little, sang a song from our church. Becky rolled her eyes, but then shrugged and joined in the chorus:

__

"Do not be afraid, I am with you.

I have called you each by name.

Come and follow Me,

I will lead you home.

I love you and you are Mine."

That seemed to have the desired effect, and soon we were talking and laughing again. I was glad. 

This had not gone on for long when we heard the sound of heavy footsteps behind us. I stiffened, and Becky, taking note of that, spoke. "Don't worry. It's probably just Erik," she said, speaking of a classmate who shared the same route as us. Just to make sure, she turned around and looked. "Hm," she said, frowning, "I guess not." I then looked, and saw a tall man in a plaid shirt carrying a backpack. 

"Good morning!" he said to us. 

"Good morning!" Becky replied. Turning then to me, she added, "See, it's nothing. Just some hiker or something."

"I dunno," I said, the hairs on my neck prickling. "I get a funny feeling from this guy. Maybe we should increase our pace."

"You and your funny feelings!" she exclaimed exasperatedly. "If I had a dime for every time you had a funny feeling about something, I-"

"Please just humor me this time," I said, dead serious for once. Becky, hearing the tone of my voice and seeing my worried expression, frowned for a moment, then shrugged, and we broke off into a fast walk. I then looked back and saw that the stranger had increased his pace, also. A very tight knot was now beginning to form in my stomach, but I swallowed and forced myself to remain calm. I lowered my voice and said, "Don't look back, but that guy is following us."

"What?" Becky exclaimed in surprise. Then, hastily lowering her voice also, she added, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," I replied. "It's not just my imagination. He started walking fast when we did."

"Shit," she growled. "Now what?"

"Walk faster," I said, and we did. I glanced back and, sure enough, our pursuer's pace had also increased, and was only about a hundred yards away. Forcing down the panic that was threatening to rise up within me, I said very softly and quickly, "It's official. He's definitely following us." Then, before Becky could say anything, I continued. "The school is still about five minutes away, two if we run. We're going to have to."

"I don't know if I can run hard for two minutes straight," she said.

"Let necessity give you wings," I replied. "This guy might not be the rapist, but for whatever reason he's following us, it can't be good." Again, I expected Becky to say, "well, duh!" but she didn't. "Now, he can't chase the both of us if we split up," I continued, "so you run like hell for Mr. O'Brien's place. Once you get there, call the police. I'll try to make it to the school and do the same thing."

"I don't know if I like the idea of us separating. What if something happens to you?"

"We don't have any choice!" I snapped. Then I felt bad, and took hold of Becky's hand. "I'll be fine," I said, "I promise." Then, "You be careful, and don't stop no matter what happens. Please." She nodded and squeezed my hand, and then let go. "On the count of three," I whispered. "One... two... THREE!!" And she was off like a deer into the trees to my right, and I down the path. 

I heard an angry curse from behind me, and then "Hey! Stop!!"

Stupid idiot, I thought, does he actually think I'm going to stop and let him rape me?! I heard his footsteps increase as he ran after me, and I was glad that he hadn't gone after Becky. I ran as I never had before, forgetting everything around me except for the path and my goal, which resounded in my head with each breath I took: Get to school! Get to school! Get to school! It became a mantra for me. It would have been amusing were my situation not so grave. My backpack weighed me down, so I tossed it, and it landed into the bushes somewhere to my left. I didn't care. I doubt that there are Olympic racers who could have competed with my speed at that time. I was not going to let that dumb bastard get his grimy little paws on me.

I think that this had gone on for about a minute when I heard the thunder. I was puzzled for a moment, because the sun was still shining. Then I heard it again, and half an instant later I felt as if I had been slammed in the back by a cannonball, just above my right kidney. I stumbled under the force of the blow, but recovered in an instant and was racing down the path at my previous speed. Something was wrong, though. After about five seconds my back started to throb where I had been hit, and the pain increased until it felt as if my back were on fire. I reached back to touch the area and my fingers encountered something moist and warm. I stumbled again, and realized that I would not be able to continue at my present rate, and that my pursuer would overtake me in a matter of seconds should I slow. So, still too far away from my school and not knowing what else to do, I tore off the path and entered a thick grove of trees to my left, hoping to lose him. Gasping for breath now and beginning to lose consciousness, I stumbled weakly on, not knowing how long I would be able to continue this. 

Then, by what I can only describe as mercy from On High, I came upon the most beautiful sight I had ever beheld: a fallen, long, hollow log, just large enough for my small frame to crawl into. Thanking God Almighty and every saint I know of, I threw my self down and hurriedly crawled on my belly into the log, gritting my teeth from the pain of my wound, which was now bleeding profusely. I crawled in until my feet no longer showed, stopped, and waited. Moments later I heard the sound of my pursuer's footsteps as he ran by, cursing like a sailor all the while. His footfalls receded until I could no longer hear them, and I let out my breath, which I had not realized I had been holding. Then I, among the fungi and beetle larvae of my sanctuary, and with my heart pounding, my side throbbing, and I shaking all over, lost my grip on this world.

~oOo~

AN: So how did you like it?! Please review and tell me (and please be kind- it's my first fic!) Any flames will be added to the big bonfire I'll have in front of my house, in which my best friend and I will burn letters from our exes, join hands, and dance around it singing Théodin's Battle Cry. 

PS- I know that Legolas hasn't made his appearance yet, but I promise he will in the second or third chapter. The next chapter will definitely feature LOTR characters, so please be patient! Thanx!


	2. Stone and Shadow

AN: Wow!! Thank you all very much for your kind reviews! You people have no idea of what kind of natural high your reviews gave me. To write my first fic ever and to have people actually appreciate it??? My parents thought I actually _was_ high, going around the house grinning like an idiot and singing the coconut song. Thank you very much! So, as requested, here is the second chapter!

Disclaimer: Dun own it, wish I did, blah blah blah blah blah!!

Chapter 2: Stone and Shadow

~oOo~

When I came to, I was standing upright against something rough and hard. After a moment's inspection I discovered that the object was a tree, and that I was tied to it. I tried to move but found that I was bound very tightly and with very, very secure knots. Obviously, whoever had tied me to this tree had absolutely no intention of giving me any chance to escape whatsoever (cue the "duh"s). 

As I was making this incredible discovery, I became aware of a familiar throbbing pain in my right side, which reminded me of why I was out there in the middle of the woods in the first place. I swallowed hard as I remembered the chase... Becky going off to get help... I, running for my life from a vicious serial rapist... The gunshots... Hiding in a hollow log... What if the creep had come back and found me after I had passed out? What if he was planning some sort of weird, Satanic ceremony to get me back for causing him the trouble of running after me? I forced down the panic that had risen in me more than once that day. There's no point in worrying about something that hasn't happened yet. _One thing's for sure, though_, I thought as I bared my teeth and narrowed my eyes, _I'm not going down without a fight! That bastard had better get himself a first-aid kit_.

With this resolve, I then pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind, concentrating instead on my surroundings. It was nighttime, and from the position of the moon it appeared to be about 1 or 2:00 in the morning. It was also unusually warm for a spring evening, but I shrugged that thought off. I looked around and saw that I was in an area of the woods that I had never seen before, or at least did not recognize. There was also something... well, something _odd_ about my surroundings, though I couldn't place it at first. I looked up at the stars, and after a few moments I realized that the _stars themselves_ were strange to me! I gazed up at those shining celestial bodies and saw that I could not name a single familiar constellation. Was that Orion? No, it couldn't be! And where was Cassiopeia?! I do not like to be in situations where I have absolutely _no_ idea of what's going on, and this fit the bill entirely.

Before I could ponder the stars further, though, I heard a sound that made my breath catch in my throat. Hope welled up in my chest as I heard the sound of voices in the distance, perhaps from a search party! However, what small hope I had soon died most horribly as I recognized the sound of many voices singing. What rescue party would be singing? As I listened, the song became clearer to me and filled me with such a dread that I cannot describe. It sounded like the howling of many wolves, but was colder and more sinister. The only way I can describe it was that it was like a darkness so complete and so enveloping that you cannot see, cannot think, cannot breathe... This time I had foreseen the panic and was ready for it, knocking it down before it had the opportunity to grab me. This was no time for fear, for that song told me I was in grave danger. The time would soon come in which my courage would be tested. 

I was right, and only minutes later I heard soft footfalls upon the earth, coming in my direction. Instinct took over as I tensed up, ready to spring. This was folly, of course, since I couldn't have sprung anywhere so long as I was tied to that infernal tree. Oh well. Anyways, as I have already mentioned, someone was heading towards me, and at an alarmingly fast rate. So much the better, for I wouldn't have to wait long to tear his slimy head off. 

This was the frame of mind I was in when the visitor stepped in. I was anxiously awaiting whoever-it-was, having steeled myself, looking up into the space where I was sure his gruesome head would appear in seconds. When the footsteps stopped, however, and no gruesome head had popped out from the branches of the trees before me, you can imagine how confused I was. Then whoever-it-was spoke, and I followed the voice downward. Ha! He was a little guy, not four feet in height! I am not very tall myself, being only about 5'2", but this one didn't even come up to my armpit! He was dressed in a long, brown robe that fell to his feet, and I couldn't see his face because it was hidden in the shadows of a cowl pulled up over his head. He was, by far, the funniest little thing I had ever seen in my life, partly because I was so relieved that he didn't look threatening. All this time I had been frightened by _this_??

Now, earlier I said that he had spoken as he entered the clearing. However, I can't tell you what he said because, frankly, I had never heard that language in my life. Not to say that it didn't exist for that reason, but it was very, very strange sounding. It had the harshness of German but sounded more like Latin, from what little of the dead language I had heard during Mass. This, though, was no Pater Noster. His tone when he spoke to me was snide and mocking. It had that, "Well, well, well, what have we here?" tone to it. I got the feeling that his words were intended to be intimidating to me, but because I was so giddy with relief they just served to make the situation all the more amusing. After he had finished his little monologue, my undersized captor reached into a fold of his robe, and for a moment I was horrified to see a long dagger emerge. My fear quickly subsided, though, when he made no move to disembowel me, but simply went around to the other side of the tree and commenced cutting the ropes that bound me. "Thanks, little guy!" I said mockingly as he worked. "I was starting to cramp." I guess he got the gist of what I was saying from my tone, because he stepped over then and kicked me hard in the shins. Owww, did it hurt! That little jackass! Who did he think he was, anyway? I was big enough to crumple him up and use him as a basketball! _Oooh, just wait till I get free..._ I thought with sudden hate. I'm not, by any means, a disagreeable person (most of the time). But when I get my temper up, Hell hath no fury.

The little wise-ass had returned to cutting the ropes, and soon I was sighing in relief as I felt my bonds loosen and drop to the ground. Boy, did my legs hurt! I tested them and found that I could walk all right, so I decided that it was high time to get out of there and get help. My side was still hurting like hell and my head felt a little fuzzy, but I could manage. Who knows? Maybe if I got to a phone soon enough, the weirdoes who had me would still be around when the police showed up. 

"Well," I said to my former midget captive, "it's been nice knowing you, but I really should be off." With that, I began to stride off in a direction that I felt would take me to a nearby house. I was completely unprepared for the blow that came to my back, right where my wound was. I gasped in shock and fell to the ground, clutching my side. "Oh, shit..." I moaned. It was a pain such as I had never experienced before. I heard chuckling and looked up to see my captor, grinning. It was then that I noticed his teeth. They were all long and viciously sharp. Crap. 

He grinned more broadly at the shock that registered on my face then, and shook a pudgy little finger in my face. He said something vile-sounding in that harsh language of his, and then spat in my face. Okay, that was it. "Why, you little shithead!!" I growled through clenched teeth, and hurled myself at him, intending to rip his heart out and shove it down his esophagus. I didn't get that glorious chance, though, because he, still grinning, waited until the exact second when I _almost_ had my hands around his scrawny little neck. He then drew back his clenched fist and hit me straight on in the gut. I cried out and fell back down, clutching this time at my stomach in agony and coughing up blood. This little quark, which seemed small and fragile to behold, had the strength of an ox! The trees swam before my eyes as I fought for breath. The asshole who did this to me chuckled and kicked me in my injured side, and then barked out something in his language. I couldn't understand the order, and I was too much in pain to move even if I had known what he wanted. He yelled again, and when I didn't move this time he kicked me again and forced me to my feet. I felt nauseous then, and fell back to my knees, losing what had remained of my breakfast the previous morning. The hateful little midget screamed at me and forced me to my feet again, kicking me in the process. I fell again.

They say that pride is a sin, but in this case it worked for me. I had run like an Olympian to get away from someone who wished to do me harm, had survived a bullet wound to my back, and had hidden in a rotting, smelly old log to survive. I had not come this far to let myself be killed by a horrible little... _whatever it was_. I was a fighter and a survivor! I had the proud blood of Celts in me! I was not going to give up now. This time, before the little animal could do me any more physical harm, I forced myself to my feet and forced myself to stay up once there. It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that much. I held my head up proudly, becoming every inch of the warrior I was in my heart then. The beast next to me howled something snide and kicked me hard in the shins again, but I paid him no heed this time, not even flinching. He... or it... was little more than an animal to me then. I certainly could not run now, not with the pain lancing through my body, threatening to make me pass out again. I would let it take me where it would, but I would go down with my head held up, not shivering in a corner like a wounded kitten. "Lead on," I croaked. The angry little thing muttered something and tied up my hands tightly behind my back. Then he tied a rope around my neck and led me off like one would lead cattle. But very proud and defiant cattle. 

I heard the spine chilling singing, which had been going on the whole time, grow louder as we neared the singers. It had changed in the meantime, though, and as I neared it sounded like the wind howling, or like the moaning of a dying person. That sound struck more fear in my heart than any rapist or Herculean midget ever could. Listening to it was like being blind, and deaf, and unable to feel, smell, taste, or speak. I felt myself shaking as we neared and I saw the flicker of fire, but I clenched my fists and made myself stop. 

Minutes later, we entered the clearing, the animal and I, and I looked around. There was a huge, roaring bonfire going on at the center of the clearing, and there were about twenty or so figures encircling it, holding hands and standing stock-still. They were the ones making that horrible noise. From what I could see, there were six others in brown robes like the beast that was leading me, and the rest were in similar robes of black. The brown ones, like my captor, had their hoods up so that it would have been impossible for me to see anything other than their mouths, had they been facing me. The rest had their hoods down and I could see that they were all female, or at least their long hair made then look the part. There was also one lone figure, robed in white, standing in the shadows off to the side. He was staring directly at me. Go figure. Anyways, I knew just by looking at them and hearing their song that I hated them. Every one of them. There was nothing that I could do about it, though. I was at their mercy.

I couldn't take in the scenery for long, though, as a moment later the beast that was my captor shouted something at me and pulled me over to the left. I turned, and saw something that made my blood freeze. There, to the left, underneath the towering trees and bathed like blood in the flickering light of the fire, were two stone altars. They were carved with many strange glyphs and characters, but that wasn't what caused and icy hand to grab my heart and squeeze. It was the four manacles that were attached to each altar, and the figure of a young woman chained to one of them. The other was unoccupied, but I had a good idea of whom it was reserved for. The little terror yanked at the rope again, but I had found new strength borne of desperation. I hurled myself away and managed to tear the rope from the very surprised midget's strong little hands. I felt blind with terror as I ran away, too scared to think, too scared to even scream. 

I think I got about ten feet away when it appeared in front of me. I mean, one minute I was just running blindly away from certain horrible death, and the next there he was, the strong little animal, hovering... _hovering_ five inches from my face. The next thing I saw was a pair of eyes that seemed to freeze and burn at the same time, and then a fist. 

I woke up, I think, about five minutes or so later. The first thing I noticed was that I was lying down, and _damn _did my wrists hurt. Then I noticed that my wrists were chained above my head, as were my ankles (not above my head, of course), and further inspection proved that I was lying, back-down, on the other of the stone alters. There was something wrong with my jaw, too. Hm. Probably broken. I didn't feel alert enough to care at the moment. I dunno, it's just something about being far from home, not having the faintest inkling as to what's going on, being beaten up severely, and facing imminent death, that tends to distance a person. I looked over to my right and saw what I had seen before. The bonfire, the weirdo cultists, etc, etc. Only now, my happy little captor had joined the circle and was singing with them. The song had changed again, and it sounded like the bottom of a fathomless sea. Oh well. No matter. I was going to die anyways. I wondered where Becky was, though...

Becky! The other girl on the alter!! I snapped alert at that moment and tilted my head up, looking across my feet at the figure on the other altar. I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that that person was way too tall to be my friend. Okay, crisis averted. Back to "I-don't-care" mode. 

The young woman must have felt my gaze, though, because she tilted her head up too, and looked directly into my eyes. She looked like a rabbit does when it stares into the headlights of a car, just before it's turned into road pizza. She said something in her own language, which was not harsh and angry like that of the beast, but soft and melodious, and strangely familiar. It was also thinned with pain and fear. I could not understand her words, but I got the meaning. "Help me, please! Oh, can't anybody help me?!" 

"Sorry, lady," I said sadly. "There's nothing I can do to help either of us anymore." She must have understood my meaning, too, because she seemed to crumple then, laying her head back on the cold stone. I heard her sobbing softly. I sighed heavily and laid my head back down, too. _Man_, I thought, _it just doesn't get any better than this, does it?_

A curious sound caused me to look over at the bonfire again. The singing had stopped, and the fire had changed color. It was now a dark, icy black. I heard thunder and flinched involuntarily, remembering the gunshot that had wounded me earlier. _I should have died then_, I mused. The cultists had stepped back from the flames, which were growing taller, almost as if they were intending to lap up the stars themselves. Then there was another clap of thunder (I didn't wince this time) and _something_ was suddenly in the center of those flames. I say "something" because I cannot think of anything to compare it to. It was a creature, a monster so horrible as to make up the stuff for a hundred thousand nightmares. It was all colors and colorless at the same time, both beautiful and hideous, repulsing, yet I found myself drawn to it. It was all opposites, yet the same, all at once. It was too much to take in, and I found myself wishing to look away but unable to do so. The creature, which was both monstrous and tiny, roared, and that sound was like waterfalls and flame, and anger and sadness and fear. I shuddered at the sound, but the cultists, its children, rejoiced in it.

What followed was a silence more terrible than the roar itself. It was a moment in which all things seemed to stop; all crickets ceased their chirping, the stars their blinking, the breeze its blowing, the world its turning, my heart its pounding. Then, one by one, the seven in brown turned around and formed a semi-circle, facing the altar. There was one in the middle that seemed to be the leader, and he, or she, held a long, silver dagger in his hand. The others, including the midget who had brought me here, were three on either side of the leader. The ones in blue stayed where they were around the fire and began to sing again, and this time the song was like a rotting world. The demon reared back its terrible head and roared again, and the singing grew louder. Then, the brown one in the middle of the semicircle chanted something loud and harsh in his strange language, and the six others responded in kind. This went on for another five minutes, and then the leader came forward, turned around, bowed to the creature, and turned around again, heading for the alter on which the other girl was bound. I knew what he was going to do, so I did not look. I could not, block out the horrible screams that she uttered, though. It was a horrible thing to hear, and the sound pierced my heart as if the dagger were in my chest and not hers. A moment later she was silent, but that sound still comes to me in my dreams sometimes. 

The six others cried out in joy, and the leader held up the heart of the poor dead girl, and then threw it to the monster, which devoured it. I looked away from the creature then to see the leader advance towards me, bloody dagger in bloody hand. I no longer cared, though. Not after all I had seen. I saw the evil one's face hovering over mine, grinning with fanged teeth, dagger raised and the cold moonlight reflecting off it. It was then that some part of me came alive, and I looked away from the dagger and up at the stars. _God, help me! _I desperately prayed for the first time that day or evening. I squeezed my eyes shut then, knowing any minute that I would be before my Lord, and felt the impact of the knife upon my chest.

Hmm... Dying didn't hurt like I thought it would. In fact, it felt... no different. That was when I heard the hiss of pain coming from somewhere above me. I opened my eyes and saw that I was exactly where I had been when I closed my eyes. That the dagger was not _in_ my chest but had nearly fallen on top of it. And that the leader of the brown-robes was still standing over me but was clutching his right hand and howling in agony. Then I noticed that there was an arrow sticking out of his hand. The others all gasped in shock, and the beast roared again, this time in surprise. There was a hissing sound in the air, and another arrow appeared, lodged in the chest of one of the women in blue. The brown-robes seemed to wake up at that point, and they ran, screaming into the woods. The blue-robes tried to do the same, and many of them succeeded, but a few of them escaped into the surrounding wilderness. I saw three figures seemingly fall from the sky (though now I know that they were merely perched up in the trees above me), and a moment later they were facing the demon in the fire. It roared for the fourth time this evening, and this time was more terrible than all the others combined; the mere sound of it made me want to crawl away and hide. My rescuers stood their ground, though. I didn't understand why a rescue team would be using bows and arrows, but nothing else that night had made sense, either. I let it drop. 

The beast howled again, this time sounding not so sure of itself. I knew that it wanted to devour me as it had the heart of the other girl, but it could not get to me with these three blocking its way. So, it screamed and howled, and through it all my three defenders stood firm. Then, with a final, agonizing cry, it reared back its head and vanished in a flash.

I was starting to phase out at that point, but I saw with my waning vision one of the three go to inspect the bodies of the fallen, another to the alter and the poor dead girl's body on it, and another came to me. "Robin Hood?..." I whispered hoarsely. For that was what he looked like, to the full. Green tunic, brown leggings, rakishly dark hair, beautifully perfect features... all complete with bow and quiver of arrows. I saw Robin Hood take out a beautifully crafted knife from somewhere behind his back, and moments later I was freed from my chains and I felt my tattered body being scooped up into a pair of strong arms. I looked up at my handsome hero and he met my gaze with eyes that were full of concern. He said something in that beautiful, familiar language and I suddenly remembered where I had heard that musical dialect. Hand trembling violently, I reached up and pushed away a lock of hair from Robin's face to reveal a beautiful, pointed ear. "Wow..." I said before I lost consciousness for the third time that day, "An Elf in Sherwood Forest. Now all that's missing is a song..."

~oOo~

AN: SO... what did you think?? I'm really sorry that this was such a looooong chapter, but I really couldn't think of any way to make it into two, and I _had_ promised LOTR characters by the second chapter... Anyways, I know it's probably not what you had hoped for, so far as in characters, but I got in an Elf, at least! Anyways, I promise that I'll get the third chapter in sometime soon, and it won't be nearly as angsty as this one. Yeah, and I know the ending sukd, but I've never been good at ending things anyways. Oh well. Anyways, have a great week! I'm going to shut up now! Thanx! =^_^=


	3. Darkness Falling

AN: Konnichiwa, gente! Look, um, I'm revising this chapter because I realized that the format I was formerly using just wouldn't work. Firstly, you, the reader, the most important element in any story, would not be able to understand what the heck I was saying because my poetry ::ahem:: sucks. Secondly, I ran out of rhymes. Thirdly, hehe, I came up with a better idea. Soooo, let me just clear a few things out for you: 1) This is a dream. 2) Elizabeth (the main character) is having it. 3) I can't think of anything else to say, but I always like to list three things. Just a quirk, I guess. 

So I'm terribly sorry that I posted the first idea before I was sure that I could use it. Thanks for your understanding and patience. Love ya lots! 

Disclaimer: You know, I feel sort of bad for tampering with Tolkein's characters like this, especially since he could have done such a better job with this plot than I ever could. But if he didn't want people to use his characters, he shouldn't have died in the first place! And no, I don't own them. 

~oOo~ 

Chapter 3: Darkness Falling

_The girl was hanging suspended in darkness, a darkness so deep and expansive that it seemed to her that it filled her whole being. She knew not where she was, or who she was, or if she even _was_. All she was aware of was pain, and that was oddly comforting in itself. But she could not move. Nor could she cry out for help. All she could do was stay there, and wait, and wait..._

_And this waiting went on for a time. How long? Days? Weeks? Hours? Minutes? She could not even be sure of that. It was as if the darkness filled everything. As if... as if everything she had known, or thought she had known, had never been. Had it all been a dream? _

_She was the darkness, and the darkness was she. _

_The pain, the pain. Oh the pain. Every fiber of what might have been her being ached. Was she on fire? No, even that must produce a light. But if the darkness was all-encompassing, how could she know that there was anything for light to hit? Maybe she was on fire. The pain was becoming unbearable. How much longer must she wait? Would no one come for her? Although she knew not who she was, some part of her knew that she had friends. _

_But what was a friend?_

_It was in this darkness that a light then shone, nearly blinding her with its intensity. It was beckoning to her, calling to her. Come! Come! it was saying. And she wanted to come, so badly did she want it. She reached out with her spirit. And as she did so, she felt herself rising, rising towards it. Yes, it was working! Her spirit sang as she rose. She felt the pain falling away as she left herself in the darkness to rise to the light. And she was almost there- so close she could almost touch it..._

_And then there was a face, a face blocking the light from her. Did she know that face? Part of her... part of her seemed to remember it, and there was a feeling of betrayal as it kept her from the light. Move! she cried out to it. Can't you see I need to get there? No, the face answered. Not yet. Not time. Why? she pleaded. Why will you not let me through? I cannot go back there, not now! The face remained impassive. No. Not yet. Not time. _

_And the light was gone, and she was falling_

_falling_

_falling_

_falling back into the darkness._

~oOo~ 

AN: You know the drill. 


	4. Torchlight

AN: Whew! This one took a while to write! Right now it's 2:21am, and I barely finished! I hope you like it, though. It certainly took long enough (I'm so sorry!) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own a lovely bunch of coconuts, dedleedeedee! There they are, a-standing in a rowwwwww! (boom-boom-boom) Big ones, small ones, SOME AS BIG AS YOUR HEAD!!

Chapter 4: Torchlight

~oOo~

It is a strange thing to wake up and not know where you are. If you have not experienced it, I don't suggest you try anytime soon. Like I said, it's very strange.

Of course, waking up in the first place was a task in itself. As I slowly regained consciousness and the memories of, well, however long ago it was came flooding back to me, I found that it was becoming increasingly easier to simply lie where I was. Damn my curiosity, though; I just _had_ to find out where I was! Slowly, reluctantly, I drew apart my eyelids like the heavy curtains they were and surveyed my surroundings. 

I didn't have my glasses on at the moment, so things were a bit blurry. However, I could make out that I was in what appeared to be a... well, a cave! It was made entirely of stone (duh!), and there was a door off to my right. It didn't _feel_ like a cave, though. I'd been in a cave once, when my family went to Mammoth Cave on vacation. That cave was dark and stuffy and smelled, um, like a cave. The air in this place was fresh, though, and there was plenty of light coming from torches lining the walls. I didn't feel claustrophobic in the slightest there. The cave was quite large, and in it were three other beds, each with a small table next to it (as was mine), each unoccupied. So I was alone. Good.

I pulled back the blankets covering me to see what condition I was in, but the sudden movement detonated small explosions of pain in my ribs and back. Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!!! Ok. Crisis averted. The pain subsided, so I surveyed the damage. I was no longer wearing the jeans and T-shirt I had been earlier, but was dressed, instead, in a long bathrobe-type-thingy. Mostly I had cuts and bruises. A lot of them. They weren't too bad, though. What bugged me was my ribs, which were cracked, or bruised, or whatever. They had been bound tightly, prohibiting movement, but I wouldn't have wanted to move them much anyways. My back still hurt where I had been shot, but it was a dull, throbbing soreness; nothing I couldn't deal with. My poor, poor shins were covered in ugly purple-and-black bruises from where I had been kicked repeatedly. I tested my jaw and found that it wasn't broken like I had previously thought. Not too shabby, all things considered. 

It wasn't enough for my insatiable (if somewhat foolish) curiosity, though. Wincing slightly, I moved so that I was no longer lying down but perched on the edge of the bed. The movement brought dizziness with it, and it took a few moments to blink it off. When it was more or less gone I slowly lifted myself to my feet. Very slowly. Embarrassingly slowly. I was glad that there was no one there to see it. I don't believe that I would have been able to live it down. 

I was able to stand up, which was a relief, to be sure. I took a few tentative steps and was able to keep my balance. Okaaay... Then I slowly walked to the door, paused for a moment to catch my breath, and then walked back. I plunked back down on the bed, tired but happy. This was a good thing! In a few minutes I would be rested enough to slip out of this place (hopefully unnoticed) and then go somewhere and use a phone to call my parents. With a frown I remembered the events that had passed before I had lost consciousness. The monster, the Elf... No, those had to have been a delusion. Perhaps all a weird dream. Then how had I come to have hurt my ribs? And my shins? And all the lacerations and bruises? Maybe I had hurt them when I crawled into the log, and was too out of it to notice. Remembering that demon's cries, though, I wasn't so sure that any of it had been a dream at all. I might have imagined the Elf, though. Yes, that was it! By that time I was so incredibly loopy, I probably just imagined his pointed ears. And if I had imagined that, then I must have imagined everything else. This was a stupid argument, and part of me knew it, but my dumber, more influential side convinced me that it had all been a dream. So, I would probably be able to walk out of this place and make my way to the nearest Sav-On. Or 7-11.

By the time I reached this stunning conclusion I felt that I was ready to go. I glanced over at the small table next to my bed and saw that my belongings were on top of it. There were also several small bowls; each containing some sort of dried leaf or something. Some of the contents were crushed into powder so that I couldn't make out what they were made of. Medicine? Whatever.

Nearly all of my things that I had carried with me that day were there: my wristwatch, my hoop earrings, my wallet (containing pictures, school ID, and about five dollars), my seashell locket, and the contents of my pockets (several folded-up papers, tissue, candy-wrappers, a hall pass, and a mint). My glasses were missing, though, much to my disappointment. Oh well, I would make due somehow. My clothing wand shoes I found, cleaned of blood and neatly folded (not the shoes, of course), underneath the table. These I put on. My shirt had a hole in the back of it where the bullet had entered, which was a shame. I really liked that shirt, too. It was amazing how they had gotten all the blood out of it, though. Not a stain remained.

I put my earrings, watch, and locket on, and my wallet I put in the back pocket of my jeans. Mind you, all this was done slowly and carefully, because though much of the stiffness had already faded, I was still very sore. I unwrapped the mint and sucked on it to get rid of the dry feeling in my mouth. When I had finished all that I was feeling tired but better. I was in control again. The robe-type-thingy I had folded and put on the bed, which I had made up again. Whoever these people were that had taken care of me had shown great consideration, and I wanted to do the same for them. It was time to leave, though.

I walked to the door, found it unlocked, and opened it a crack. I could see no one, hear no one. Slowly, cautiously, I opened it a bit wider and poked my head out. Outside the door was a long corridor, lined with the same sort of torches that were in my room. There was no one in sight. I stepped out into the hallway, closing the door silently behind me. My shoes made a loud scuffling sound in that silent place, so I slipped them off and held them in my hand, and continued on in my socks. I kept to the shadows, praying that no one would show up, and if they did, that the shadows would be a sufficient cover. I continued on in this way for a long time, perhaps thirty minutes. I had no idea of where I was going. The passages twisted and turned, and at times forked, and I pressed on, hoping against hope that I would find a way out. My back was throbbing and my ribs hurt with every step, but I _had_ to get out of there and find my home. Finally I heard something. It was the sound of many voices singing, and it brought back painful memories. It was a different kind of singing, though. It was eerily beautiful and brought to mind images of starlight. I didn't want to be discovered, though, not when the last group of singing people I had come into contact with had tried to kill me. The sound was coming closer, so I ducked behind a corner, crouching down, keeping still. The sound came ever nearer, and then there they were: a procession of about seven or eight tall, singing figures, dressed in green and brown as my rescuers had been. I scarcely dared to breathe, not until the last one had passed. They hadn't seen me! After they had gone by, I glanced around the corner and saw that they were passing through a pair of large stone gates, and on the other side of those gates was sunlight and freedom. Great! I would wait until they were out of sight, and then I would waltz out those gates and find my way back home. 

My hopes were most horribly dashed against the sharp rocks of fate. For no sooner had the last figure passed through those gates, when they swung close with a CLANG!! I ran to them and desperately threw myself against them, but it was no use: they would not open!! Defeated, I sank to the floor and pulled my knees up to my chin. Now what would I do? How would I ever get home? I would have liked to cry then, but the tears would not come. 

I sat there for a long time, how long I do not know. But there is a part of me that will not give up in any situation. It has saved my life numerous times, some of them I have already mentioned. Sometimes I desperately just want to sit down, to give up, to let what comes come. That is when that part of me comes to life, bashing its poor tired body against the bars of its cage and giving me no rest until I have gotten back up. And that's what I did. I got up and looked, either for another way out or for someone to show me the way out. I had not wanted to be discovered, but now I had no choice. 

I had walked on for some time when I paused to rest, leaning against the cool stone wall. It was then that I heard it.

"On your feet already?" That was all. But it made me jump about ten feet; I was so unprepared for it. I spun around and saw her. She was a tall, redheaded woman with bright blue eyes, fair complexion, and a long blue gown that matched the robin's-egg color of her eyes. And framing her slender face were two delicately pointed ears. Ohhhhhhhhh craaaaaaaaap.

"Wha- wha-??" was all I could stammer.

The Elf, noticing my distress, said, "Do not be frightened, young one. For you are with friends."

I gulped and forced the words out. "Wh-what place is this? Who are you?"

"This is the realm of my lord, King Thranduil of Mirkwood. I am Neume. And what is your name?"

"E-Elizabeth," I stammered.

Neume looked at me quizzically. "Elizabeth," she echoed. "What a strange name. From whence have you come, Elizabeth?"

"I... I..." It was all too much. I was in Middle Earth. Talking with an Elf. Who spoke English. I put a hand to my forehead and leaned back against the wall, feeling sick.

Immediately she came forward to help support me. "How inconsiderate of me!" Neume exclaimed. "You have been asleep recovering from your wounds for three days, and I am interrogating you! Please forgive me."

"Three days? Is that how long I've been out?" I inquired unbelievingly. 

She nodded. "Yes, and now you must rest and eat. Lord Thranduil will wish to question you when you have regained your strength." I nodded weakly and let this strange Elf guide me to a room. This one was different than the one I had previously occupied, but I didn't care. Once Neume had made sure that I was sitting down (I didn't want to lie down again), she left, saying, "Do not leave here. I will bring servants with food and drink, and you will have a hot bath when you have finished." Then she was gone, and I was alone with my swirling thoughts. So much in so little a time. Why me? It all made sense, though, strange as it was. I sighed. Whatever. At least they weren't going to do me any harm. Probably.

I hadn't realized how hungry I was until Neume had mentioned food. Now I was famished! When Neume and the servant Elves arrived with a tray that was laden with food, my mouth was watering. I dug in. It was so _good_, too! There was roasted meat and fresh vegetables and fruit and hot bread and butter, and I had been asleep for three days!! I don't think I've ever wolfed down so much at a time; I was that hungry! Neume stayed for a moment to make sure that I was eating, and then she left me to report to the other Elves that I was awake. 

After I had finished and was feeling rather content, the servants brought in a tub finned with hot water, a bar of nice-smelling soap, fresh clothes to change into, and then left me in privacy, for which I was glad. When I was finished I felt refreshed and better than I had in quite some time. The clothes I put on were a green tunic and brown leggings like the other Elves had worn, and they were very comfortable. I was glad that I didn't have to wear a gown like Neume.

The servants returned and took the tub away, and afterwards Neume returned looking pleased with my condition. "You look considerably better than you did out in the halls," she said. "You may rest until morning, and then Lord Thranduil will have an audience with you." A sudden fear gripped my stomach at those words. 

"I am to speak with Thranduil?! What will I say?" I begged of her.

Neume smiled and said, "Do not worry. He will simply question you as to who you are and where you are from, and then he will see that you are returned from whence you came. Thranduil is a strict king, but not cruel or unreasonable." Then she turned to go, pausing at the doorway. "Do try to rest," she said, looking turning her head back to look at me. "You should be at your best when you speak to my lord tomorrow." Then she left, shutting the door behind her.

I didn't sleep a wink.

~oOo~

AN: Soooooo... What did you think?? Did you like it? Hate it? I don't care, just tell me! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!! 


	5. They Would Not Come

AN: Konnichiwa, gente! Lookie, I'm sorry that this took so long. I really shouldn't have posted this story at all until I had at least five chapters down. Oh well. Anyways, I promise I'll have ch. 6 in soon. Real soon. In fact, I'm working on it now. At 2:00am. What would I do without Powerade and pizza? Or your reviews? 

Disclaimer: I am getting so sick of these things. Are they even necessary? I DON'T OWN THE STUPID STORY, OKAY?!?!? I don't even own a copy of the Two Towers!! ::whimpers:: 

~oOo~ 

Chapter 5: They Would Not Come

Sure enough, evening passed morning came and I had not slept at all. Since I was already awake and had nothing else to do, I got up. And paced. And worried. What, exactly, does one _say_ to an Elven king? _Especially_ one like Thranduil. I swallowed hard, remembering Thorin and Co.'s imprisonment by the Elven lord in The Hobbit. What would he do if I could not tell him what he wanted to know? I didn't think that the whole barrel-escape thing would work in this case. Blast it, what time was it? Windows would have been nice just then. I felt that it had to be some time in the morning but wasn't exactly sure. How would I address the king? _'Good morning, King Thranduil'_? _'Greetings, Your Majesty'_? I grinned at a sudden thought. _'Hey, Your Highness. Where's your hot son, Legolas?'_

_gasp!_ What if I met Legolas that day?! It certainly would make sense, this being his father's kingdom and all! Why, oh _why_ had I not thought of this before? What if _he_ wanted to question me?! What if he was as cute as Orlando Bloom?! I groaned and sat down on the edge of the bed, bringing my hands up to my temples. And to think, only a few days ago I had been worried about a math test! 

_It's really too bad that Becky's not here for this,_ I thought. Then I smiled slightly to myself, imagining the look on her face if she were to meet Legolas, face-to-face. _Oh man, she would_ freak! But my smile was soon replaced with a frown. Would I ever even see my best friend again? Or my parents? My little sister, Kristi? What about all my friends from school? How would I ever get back to them if I didn't even know how I got here in the first place? 

I knew that it had to have something to do with those weirdoes who had tried to kill me. Unless this was all some sort of strange dream that I would wake up from soon (oh please, oh please, oh please!), I had no other explanation for all these strange happenings. Other than, of course, that I was actually, somehow, in the world of Tolkein. Who knows? Stranger things have happened. Anyways, back to the purpose of this paragraph, I knew that those cowled dummies had to have known something about how I got here. And, while many of those in blue had been slain (don't you love that word?) by my rescuers, some had escaped off into the woods. If I recalled correctly, all of the browns had shoved off soon after the fireworks began. I hadn't even seen the one in white at all after the Elves had arrived, but things were so hectic, how could I have even noticed? So I knew that they were still out there, hiding behind a tree somewhere. Well, if they were still in Mirkwood, my Elven friends would undoubtedly hunt down every last one of the bastards, and then _I_ would be able to do some interrogation of my own. And if not, then I would just go after them! _I lost too much this past year,_ I thought, gritting my teeth as the painful waves of memory washed over me. _I've got to take_ action _this time._ _I _will _find the way home._

I was so distracted at that point that I jumped about ten feet when the door suddenly opened. Yikes, don't Elves knock? More out of habit than anything else, I jumped to my feet and stood at guard as the Elf entered the room. It wasn't Neume, as I thought it might be, but was instead a tall male Elf. Why do I even bother to mention that he was tall? All Elves are tall. Okay, from now on, when I describe an Elf, just assume that he or she is tall. Gosh, I ramble a lot. 

Anyways, where was I? Oh yes! The door opened and in walked a male Elf. His hair was sort of brownish-blonde and fell to his shoulders (yay!), and his eyes were the same green as new leaves, not muddy-green like mine. He wasn't dressed in the usual green-and-brown garb, but had on instead a white tunic and tan leggings. I rather liked the combination. Around his waist was a brown belt with several pouches either hooked or sewn onto it. It was sort of like Batman's utility belt, only... brown. Whatever. When the newcomer saw me standing there, he paused for a moment and looked startled. Then he apparently shook it off and grinned. "You are looking well for one who has been through such as you have," he said. Then, "You are Elizabeth, are you not?" 

"At your service," I answered, bowing slightly (just so you'll know, I didn't do that because he was an Elf, but because I just do that for some strange reason. Go figure). Then I inquired, "And what is your name, friend?" 

He smiled and bowed back. "I am Veon, head healer of the realm of Mirkwood." 

So it would be dumb of me to ask him what he was doing here. Oh well. "And what brings you here, Veon, head healer of the realm of Mirkwood?" 

"I am to examine your injuries," he answered, "If you are healed sufficiently, you are to have an audience with my lord." 

Oh. Great. "Thanks for your concern, but I feel fine," I said, backing away. I have a horrible fear of doctors and hospitals and everything that has to do with them. 

Veon cocked his head to the side in puzzlement. "Why do your fear? There is naught to be afraid of." He took a step forward and extended his hand before continuing, "If I could only have a moment to discern whether or not your knife-wound is healing..." 

Wait a sec. Knife-wound? When did I get stabbed? "Umm... There's some kinda mistake, Veon," I started, still backing away. "I remember being shot, kicked, socked in the face, and basically dragged through a knothole; but I'm damn sure I wasn't stabbed." 

The Elf looked at me as if I had hit my head. "Then what is the nature of that wound on your back?" 

"The one on the right?" 

He nodded. 

"But... But that's where I was... shot...." Did they even have guns in Middle Earth? Did Veon even know what the hell I was talking about? It seemed to me that a God-only-knows-how-old Elven healer would know the difference between the kind of wound made by a knife and one made by something else. Even if he didn't know what a gun was. 

My back hit the wall at that point, and the pain it set off in my side made me hiss softly. Curiosity won over fear at that point, and I decided to let the Elf just check my friggin' injuries and get it over with. He didn't seem like too bad a guy, anyways. "Oh, whatever," I sighed. I turned around and lifted up the back of my shirt (not the front, you perv!). "Now tell me, is that or is that not a stab-wound?" 

Veon crossed the room and examined my back closely. After a moment he nodded and said, "It is, indeed. I am sure of it." Then, "It is also healing beautifully. You mend uncommonly fast for a daughter of Man." 

I was downright baffled. "But... how? How can this be? I was shot, I'm sure of it!" 

The Elf shrugged. "I know not of what you speak, but it is possible that you hallucinated during your ordeal." 

"Yeah, whatever," I muttered as he went on to feel the damage in my ribs. 

"Your ribs, too, are mending properly. It is odd that such healing took place in so short a time..." he trailed off. There was a pause. "No matter. You are well on your way to recovery." 

"That's good to know," I responded as I smoothed my shirt back down. The action brought more pain with it. "Owwww, it hurts, though!" 

"The soreness should subside before long. By then, you will be on your way home." 

_You wanna bet?_ I thought ironically. 

Veon looked at me and narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, as if trying to see something that wasn't there. "Where _is_ your home, Elizabeth? Your accent is unfamiliar to me and your speech is most strange." 

"I... uh..." I was fumbling with possible things to say when another Elf entered the room, a servant this time. 

He looked at Veon. "If all is in order," he began, nodding in my direction, "the girl will now be presented to the king." 

"Should she not be given time to prepare herself?" Veon asked. 

The new guy shook his head. "Lord Thranduil wishes to speak with her now." 

Veon shrugged. "Very well." Then, turning to me, "Elizabeth, if you would follow Táwarion..." 

"Yeah, sure. Whatever," I muttered, not liking this at all. I turned to follow the other Elf, but paused at the doorway, just as Neume had the night before. "Um... Thanks for everything, Veon." Then, before he could respond, I said quickly, "Well, see ya!" and ran to catch up with Táwarion. As nice as Veon was, the fact remains that I. Don't. Like. Doctors. 

I followed Táwarion closely, knowing that in my spaced-out state I could easily wander off and become lost in this maze of tunnels again. I had already begun to think of ways of escape should Thranduil take a disliking to me. Then I sighed and hung my head. It was hopeless. There would be no escape if this didn't work out. I would rot away in Thranduil's dungeons, never seeing my family, my friends, my _home_ again. 

"Is this realm not to your liking?" Táwarion said, a note of disdain in his fair Elvish voice. 

I jumped. _Damn_, I thought. _Is his hearing_ that _good?_ "Oh, no!" I hurriedly insisted. "I was just, well... worried. That's all." 

The Elf nodded slightly. "You have reason to worry, _Secondborn_," he spat, as if it were a dirty word. "King Thranduil is not so lenient to those who trespass in his kingdom." 

I gasped. Would the king really think that I was a trespasser? _He thought Thorin and the other dwarves were trespassing,_ I recalled. _Then again, they refused to tell him their business. But what if he doesn't believe me? Will he think I'm lying?_ "You've got to believe me, Táwarion," I implored. "I was not trespassing in this kingdom!" 

He snorted softly. "Save your story for other ears," he said. "I am not the one who will have to swallow it." 

Gaah! What a jerk! This was impossible! I pinched my arm frantically. _C'mon... Wake up. Wake up!_ It was to no use, though. There would be no waking up. I was really, honestly here, though I had no clue as to how. I clenched and unclenched my fists to relieve the tension. I felt the seashell locket that hung close to my heart. _Give me strength,_ I pleaded to ears that I so often prayed could hear me. _I wish you were here with me._ At that moment I felt more alone than I ever had in my life. For the second time that week, I wanted so much to shed some tears to ease the burden on my heart. But they would not come. I hadn't cried since... Oh well. Now was no the time for such thoughts. I wrapped my fingers around the locket. _For you I'll be strong,_ I resolved, and then released it. 

Táwarion stopped, and I barely avoided running smack into him. He looked down at me, a haughty expression marring his beautiful face. We are about to enter the Great Hall of my lord, mortal. Keep your head bowed, speak only when you are bidden to, and _show the utmost respect!_" 

"But of course," I stated, feeling new strength flow through me. I lifted my chin and looked him straight in the eye. "Well, what are you waiting for?" I demanded. "Lead on, Táwarion!" 

He narrowed his eyes at me but said nothing, and a moment later we entered a great chamber filled with light. The Hall of Thranduil. 

~oOo~ 

AN: Oooh, how's that for suspense?! Don't worry; I won't leave you hanging! (not for long, anyways ::evil grin::) Review please! 


	6. Telperion

AN: I know I promised that I would get this chapter in a hell of a lot sooner, but then I got writer's block, and nothing I wrote seemed good enough, and I was really busy, and... ::sigh:: You know what, just don't believe anything I promise from now on. Cuz I mean it when I make promises, but then all kinds of shiznit happens and I can't fulfill it, and then I feel really bad. So just ignore them, ok? 

Also, special thanks to that one person who reviewed my last chapter. I don't know who you are, fair stranger, but my heart goes out to you. Thanx! 

Disclaimer: I am learning Spanish. Estoy aprendiendo Español. I am only in my third year. Soy sólo en el tercero año. Native speakers, feel free to laugh at my shaky grasp of the language. Españolhablantes, pueden reír de mi mal alcance de la lengua. 

~oOo~ 

Chapter 6: Telperion

I remember when I was about, oh, maybe four years old, and my dad was reading my favorite book, The Hobbit, to me. That was before my little sister came along and my parents became too busy to read to me anymore. I remember when he read the part about the Dwarves being led into King Thranduil's great Hall, bound and blindfolded. You, of course, have been a small child at some point in your life, and you know how they think. At the time I imagined a great, dark, scary cave filled with bats and stalagmites. Thranduil, in my mind, was this sinister, shadowy figure who sent the poor Dwarves (whom I imagined as the Disney sort of Dwarves) into a dank prison to die. Not a nice picture. And, in spite of everything that I had seen up until that point, I think that when I entered the Hall of King Thranduil for real twelve years later, a part of me still expected to step into a dark chamber of horrors. Boy, was I ever in for a surprise. 

It was magnificent! The chamber was huge and airy and was filled with an unearthly silver light, not like the golden torchlight that was present everywhere else. The massive pillars holding up the place, so wide that three full-grown men could not have linked hands around it, were carved with thousands of images that covered them from top to bottom. The ceiling was painted to look like the starry night sky. It was like being in a dream. I could have sat down in that place and written a million poems about it, and not gotten tired... 

If it hadn't been for the reason I was there in the first place. There, in the midst of it all, was the great king himself, seated magnificently on his throne of carven wood. In his hand he held a carven staff of oak, and on his head he wore a crown of woodland flowers. His hair was golden as the sun, his skin Elvenfair, his eyes strikingly bluer than the sapphires he wore around his neck. The flowing robes he wore were silver and blue and glowed as ice does in the pale light before dawn. He was almost too beautiful to look at, but I found that I couldn't take my eyes off him. Thranduil's face was grim as he looked sternly down on me. His eyes seemed to bore through me, and yet I still couldn't look away. 

"Look down, you fool!" Táwarion cried and put his hand on my shoulder, forcing me to my knees. I remembered myself and somehow tore my eyes from the Elven king, bowing my head low and bringing my gaze to the floor below me. "Forgive this one, Your Majesty," I heard Táwarion sneer. "She is of the race of Men and is, therefore, quite slow." Why that little... 

"My eyes work perfectly, Táwarion. I need not for you to point out what I can see most plainly." The voice was noble and rich, and I found myself wishing that I could hear more of it. I got my wish, though I later regretted it. "Arise, child, and let me have a good look at you," he said. 

I did so immediately. The king turned to Táwarion and said, "Leave us now." The Elf didn't look very happy, but bowed low anyways and turned to leave, giving me a nasty look as he did. Ha, ha! Anyways, I then looked up at the Elven king. 

Thranduil's eyes were amazing. Again, it felt as if they were trying to pierce through me, to my very soul. Then he said, "Tell me, what is your name?" 

I swallowed to get the lump out of my throat. "E-elizabeth, your highness." 

"Elizabeth..." he repeated. "A strange name, indeed. What is it, Elizabeth, that brought you, a mere girl, to trespass in my kingdom? I do not take such offenses lightly." 

As much of a big-mouthed talker I am, I found it impossibly difficult to speak. I did my best, though. "Please, majesty, you must believe me. I-" 

He cut me off harshly. "I will be the judge of what I must and must not do, girl!" Then he calmed down a bit and said, "Continue." 

"I-I was not trespassing in your realm. I swear on my life that this is true!" I stammered. 

"It will be your life if I find you are lying." He leaned forward slightly and narrowed his eyes. "You insist that you were not, but how can this be?" the Elven king inquired. "Three of my most skilled warriors found you with a band of demon-worshippers. An Elf, one of my own subjects, was dead, her heart cut out. But you were alive." I cringed, the painful memory coming back to me. The king paused a moment before continuing. "My warriors believe that you were a victim of sorts, for it was obvious that you were to be the next sacrifice to their terrible demon-god. However, I think it not. It is true that their intent was so sacrifice you, but they would not likely use a stranger. It is my thought that you are one of their women." 

Whaaaat?! He thought I was one of those blue crazies?! Uh-uh. "I beg your pardon, your majesty, but was the murdered Elf another of their consorts?" I immediately regretted saying it, because at that moment Thranduil's eyes became aflame with rage. 

"My people have long been subject to the cruelty of Men, who are envious and will stop and nothing to satisfy their lust for power!!" he bellowed. "I need not speculate as to why they would destroy the life on an innocent Elf!!" He rose from his throne and pointed down at me accusingly. "But why would they kill one of their own people unless to gain more for themselves?! You know about them, now tell me what you know!!" 

A strange courage came from somewhere in my chest, and I could feel my heart beating against my locket; it gave me strength to feel it. I stood tall as I could and lifted my chin defiantly. "I don't know anything about them!" I exclaimed. "I don't know how I got here and I don't know why they wanted my life and I don't know what they were! But I do know that they _weren't_ human at all, as you believe, and I'm sorry if that's not good enough for you but that's all I've got!!" 

I don't think I've ever seen anyone look so pissed as Thranduil did at that point. "Then where are you from, if you know so very little about your would-be killers?!" 

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you!" 

"That is for me to decide!!" 

"Fine!" I said. I was being so stupid at that point, I can't even believe it. "I come from a place called America, which you've never heard of. I live in the state of Vermont, in a little out-of-the-way town that isn't even on the map, called Hague. My house is on the edge of some woods, and I have to walk about a mile through them every day to get to school. I don't know how I got from there to here, but in my world Middle Earth is just a made-up place in a story, and you don't even exist!!" Man, it felt good to get that all off of my chest. It didn't help the Elven king's mood much, though. 

"Preposterous!" he exclaimed angrily. "Ilúvatar made but one world, Arda, and there is no land of America in it!" 

"How do you know?!" I shot back. "Did he tell you?!" 

He was silent for a moment as he glared at me with a black rage. I really wasn't expecting to live much longer, and I probably wouldn't have if my guardian angel hadn't interceded on my behalf just then. For, just as Thranduil opened his mouth to speak again, there was a loud cry at the other end of the Hall and a servant came rushing in. "Your majesty!" he said hurriedly. 

"What is it?!" Thranduil cried, turning on the servant in his anger. 

"Forgive me, your majesty, but I was sent to inform you that one of the hunting parties has returned. And... they have taken a prisoner!" 

Thranduil sank wearily to his throne again and brought his fingers up to his temple. "Good... At least some progress has been made in this issue." He turned to me with eyes of ice. "The captive will be able to identify you as one of the murderers, and then nothing you can say will save you from my wrath." A cold shiver ran down my spine at his words. 

"Here they come!" the servant exclaimed, and I turned my head to look at the open doorway, though I couldn't see or hear anyone coming. _Is their hearing _that_ good?! _I wondered. Presently I was able to hear a single set of footsteps approaching, which confused me for a moment. Then I remembered that Elves don't make any noise when they're walking, and that the footsteps must belong to the more noisy captive. The footsteps, which sounded as though the person was being half-dragged, grew louder, and then a group of four Elves and their bound-and-blindfolded captive turned the corner of the hallway and stepped into the great Hall. Three of them I recognized as my rescuers, but I didn't recall ever seeing the fourth one. He was beautiful, though! Much more so than any of the others, even Thranduil. His hair was the same gold that you see in winter sunsets, and it shone more brightly than the stars. His eyes were a deep blue and they sparkled with happiness. In fact, every last inch of the Elf, from head to toe, seemed to reverberate with life. I knew who he was immediately. 

"Hail, my lord!" he said to Thranduil. 

"Hail, my son. I see that your hunt was successful," the king responded, his eyes softening slightly with fondness as he spoke. 

Legolas nodded. "Aye, it was indeed." He turned to the other Elves in the hunting party and motioned slightly with his head. They brought the prisoner, one of the blue-robed women, forward. She was bent over with exhaustion and covered in filth, and her hair was matted. She looked as if she had been hiding in the woods for several days... which she, um, had been (duuuuh). In spite of myself, I found myself feeling sorry for her. "This one," Legolas started, "was trying to hide in a tree, but she was so noisy that we could hear her from quite a ways off. There was no sign of the others, though." 

"Very well, then," Thranduil said. "Unbind her and remove the blindfold. She will not need them here." 

Legolas and his partners complied, and as soon as they stopped holding her, the prisoner fell to her knees exhaustedly. Legolas looked at her with pity for a moment, and then he turned and seemed to notice me for the first time. "Ah!" he exclaimed. "So the sleeping one has finally awakened!" 

"Yes," Thranduil responded coldly. "I believe the girl is associated with the killers, and I was hoping that your captive would be able to shed some light on this situation." 

His son looked taken aback. "This one?!" he asked incredulously. "She is but a girl!" 

"Do not allow yourself to be fooled by appearances, my son," Thranduil warned. "You forget, I have seen the passing of many more years than you have, and I have seen many an innocent and beautiful thing corrupted by evil. You know not the desires of this girl's heart." It was a beautiful statement, the way he said it, and I would have been impressed if it wasn't me he was talking about. 

"But Father, her eyes do not betray evil intent; only sorrow and fright, and a grim determination, do I see in her gaze." 

Thranduil looked at his son fondly. "You have your mother's eyes, Legolas. She could see through to the very heart of a person. But," he said, frowning now, "not all gifts are flawless. We must determine her guilt or innocence, and take the necessary steps upon making that determination." 

"I can attest to her innocence!" I whipped around. The person who had spoken was the Elf who had held me the other night, and I felt the butterflies leap in my stomach as I beheld him. Although he wasn't amazingly beautiful like Legolas or Thranduil, his near-black hair and berry-brown eyes lent him a dark handsomeness. Although I couldn't understand why, I felt safe with him there. 

Thranduil sighed. "You would also stand up for this mortal, Telperion? What cause would drive the second-best archer in all of Greenwood to jump to the defense of such a character?" Telperion? As in the tree? Interesting... 

He stood up straight. "'Twould be wrong of me not to, majesty. I was there that night in the clearing. I was one of the three that drove off the demon-god that Earemë was sacrificed to." The pain in his voice almost brought tears to my eyes. "They would have killed this girl, too, had my companions and I not driven them off. She had been beaten savagely almost to the point of death; if not for the combined healing skills of Neume and Veon, she most probably would not have lived." Had I really been that bad off? Damn. I owed those two a lot, then. 

Telperion continued. "I know of your opinion in this matter, Sire, for you have expressed it to me. But every one of my instincts, every last fiber of my being is screaming that this mortal, this girl, is innocent." I was touched. No one had ever spoken so eloquently on my behalf. Well, maybe Alec... but the memory was too painful. I touched my locket for reassurance. Telperion saw me do so and his eyes softened with sadness. My eyes met his for a moment; there was an expression there that I couldn't read, and it bugged me. Then I tore my gaze from his and turned around to face the Elven king. 

Thranduil was nodding slowly. "Well said, Telperion," he said. "Very well. We will see what the captive has to say in this matter." At first I thought he meant me, but then I remembered the woman in blue. There was a gasp that came from one of the Elves, and I looked to see what had happened. 

She was gone. 

~oOo~ 

AN: I know you have a life and a busy schedule, but could you please review? It would make me so happy. Thank you. 


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